Hi everyone, and welcome! We hope you’ll join us for this year’s MKAL! It’s going to be SO much fun, I can hardly wait to get started!



Here are the details for this year’s Game of Thrones Mystery KAL:

• The MKAL will begin on Sunday, May 4th and run for 6 weeks (through the end of Season 4 of Game of Thrones.)
• We will be knitting a lace shawl inspired by Daenerys Targaryen! The mystery is in the design…
• The recommended yarn is 2 skeins of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock and we are using the Limited Edition color “Fire and Blood” (avail. 4/25.) Lorna’s Laces Solemate is also a great substitute, and as usual, you are welcome to use ANY fingering weight yarn of your choosing. You are never required to buy yarn from us to participate in one of our KALs. Anyone is welcome!  
• The pattern difficulty level is considered Intermediate. The stitches are basic enough (a list of abbreviations is available immediately when you download the pattern in case you need to brush up on any skills), but there is some interesting shaping that may challenge you a bit (in a good way of course.)
• The pattern will include both written instructions AND charts (by popular demand!)
• The KAL will be hosted entirely on Ravelry, so the pattern will also only be available on Ravelry this year.
• You will need to go here to download the pattern: Game of Thrones MKAL 2014
• Each Sunday during the KAL, you’ll receive a message that the pattern has been updated. You can download and print each clue individually, week by week. 
• As usual, we’ll have threads for each clue in the JBW Group on Ravelry, so come on over and join in the conversation, ask questions, get help with the pattern, etc.!!!

Since we started doing these MKAL’s a little over a year ago, we have learned a ton! With each one, we’ve tried to improve the participant experience a little bit, and learned a little more each time as we go. After this year’s Downton Abbey MKAL, we received tons of great feedback (thank you all!) and think we’ve hit the nail on the head in terms of optimizing the KAL experience for all of you, and streamlining the process and information as much as possible. If you are returning this year for your 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) MKAL with us, you’ll notice a few key changes:

1) The pattern will now be available as a Ravelry download making it easier for you to print, store on an iPad or e-reader device, save for future reference, etc.

2) Each week, the new clue will be published separately from the week before (and e-mailed to you on Ravelry) so all you have to do is print the new section, not the whole thing over again. Once the KAL is over, you will receive a fully formatted all-in-one version of the pattern.

3) Because of this huge change, we’ll no longer be putting the instructions on the JBW Blog (which most of you mentioned is tough to print from anyway. Win-win!)

4) This also means no more going back and forth between the blog and Ravelry. Everything is in one place! Hurray!

5) Last time (for the Downton KAL 2014 AND the Game of Thrones KAL last year) the yardage on the pattern ran really close to the yardage needed to finish the KAL piece. I will never do that to you all again! This time there is ample yardage to finish the project, with extra to spare! (Gauge is still important! So please do check your gauge!)

6) As mentioned in the KAL details above, I have created charts along with the written instructions for this pattern. I have been asked for charts in the past, but not been able to provide them for various reasons. Now, thanks to my awesome new chart software, I’ve got nice, clean, and easy to read charts for every section of the project. :)

7) Lastly, (and please don’t tar and feather me for this) we are going to be charging a small fee for the pattern this year. The KAL promotional price for the pattern is just $3 and helps to cover the awesome changes I’ve listed here as well as my time in the design process and running the KAL. After the KAL is over, the price will go up to $6, so if you think you want to knit the shawl but are planning to wait to cast on, be sure to order it now and save the pattern in your Ravelry library for a rainy day to take advantage of the 50% off price!

I hope this covers any questions you might have about this year’s Game of Thrones Mystery KAL! As usual, you are welcome to leave comment/questions here, or send me a message on Ravelry at either JimmyBeansWool or Marinade (my personal account.) Also, be sure to join in the conversation in the Jimmy Beans Wool Group!

Hope to see you all in this year’s MKAL!

Happy knitting,
Kristen

On Saturday our newsletter debuted my design for the Luxury Holiday Garland. The reason it's considered "luxury" is because it uses every yarn in our new Luxury Fiber Sampler to create twelve beautiful stars joined together by a linen/cotton blend garland strand. The result is classically beautiful in neutral shades that emulate a wintery wonderland.

Our version uses the sampler, but I know many if you, if you're at all like me, have tons of wee scraps lying in your stash. This is the perfect stash busting project as you only need about 15-20 yards for each star. The gauge is ideal for anything from a Fingering to a DK weight yarn but you could easily adapt this pattern for larger weights if you wanted. I am thinking about doing some in a chunky weight to hang in my front window. That's the beauty of this project, you don't HAVE to make a garland. You can make individual ornaments too. Wouldn't it be fun to make a new one each year with the year embroidered on it? So cute!

Here are all of the photos we took of the garland. I am seriously so in LOVE with it! There are tons of possibilities with these adaptable little stars. I encourage you all to get creative and then share your projects with me. I'd love to see how you use these stars this holiday season!










If you are a local Reno customer, Terry is teaching a class on making this garland this Saturday, Nov. 9th from 3-5 pm. Call the shop to sign up and reserve your space. I work on Saturdays, so I'll probably pop in and say hello and help for a bit too! Hope to see you there!

Happy Knitting!
Kristen

PS. If you love this design and would like to show me a little love on Ravelry, I'd really appreciate it! Feel free to head on over and queue it up, start your project, or favorite the design!

Back in March, we received a notification that Soho Publishing was looking for designs for their next 60 Quick Knits Book using Cascade Yarns. The book is officially called 60 Quick Knits from America's Yarn Shops: Everyone's Favorite Projects in Cascade 220. Several of us Beans here at JBW submitted designs, and much to our surprise and excitement, two of them were accepted! Both Heather and myself (Kristen) have designs in the book, and we are so excited we can finally talk about it as it's due out next month!



Heather's design is a Colorblock Reversible Cap knit in Cascade 220 Superwash. She originally designed and knit this cap for her husband, and it's since become his absolute favorite hat. When the opportunity came up for her to submit the design, she went for it and was so thrilled when it was accepted! This hat will be her first published design, and she's even designed another piece since then that will be in the next Noro book! We are so excited that she's unleashed her creativity!



My design is a simple shawlette with a garter stitch body that is knit lengthwise with a simple Shell Lace Pattern along one edge. The Shell Lace Shawlette is knit in Cascade 220 Fingering, which is truly a delight to work with. The result is a feminine and cozy shawlette that can be worn with just about anything!


Both Heather and I feel so honored to be a part of this book on behalf of Jimmy Beans! Thanks so much to the fine folks at Soho Publishing and Cascade yarns, for including us in this collection! 60 Quick Knits from America's Yarn Shops will be out next month, but if you are excited to reserve your copy, please feel free to place a pre-order and we'll ship it as soon as it arrives!

To see the rest of the designs in 60 Quick Knits from America's Yarn Shops, be sure to check out the book's Ravelry page.

Happy Knitting!
Kristen

The Sugar Bowl Hat

Some of you may have heard that I am one of 18 semi-finalists in Schachenmayr's My Mountain Hat Design Contest. My design, the Sugar Bowl Hat knit in Schachenmayr original's new Lova yarn, also doubles as a cowl for extra versatility in all of your activities. 

I love items that have multiple uses, which was why I thought this design would be a great entry for the contest. I've already sent the sample (shown here in gray and teal on Amanda) to Schachenmayr since they are going to publish the design on their website, but I decided I needed one for myself too! Last night I cast on to make my own in a different color of Schachenmayr original Lova! It's already turning out really cute and I can't wait to wear it! 

Version #2 WIP

Being a semi-finalist is honor enough, but if by some small chance I happened to be the finalist with the most votes, my hat pattern would be published as a paid download to support the charitable organization of my choice! For me, there is no question over which one to choose...

The Stitch Red campaign in support of The Heart Truth would be my pick! so I am hoping all of you could help me out and go vote! I would love to have a pattern out there that is contributing to heart disease research and prevention for women. 

You can also wear it as a cowl!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Stitch Red, it's a campaign that JBW started almost 3 years ago to get the whole needle arts industry involved in spreading the word about heart disease and how it affect women. Knit Red and Sew Red are the two books we've created as our Stitch Red product along with tons of other industry vendors who have created Stitch Red products as well. Each has pledged 5% or more of the gross profits to go to The Heart Truth. On a side note we are excited to announce that Crochet Red will be released in February of 2014 and we are currently working on acquiring celebrity chefs to participate in Cook Red which will be out in 2015. 

Heart disease is something that is personal to many of us. It runs in my family, and is something I know that I need to be aware of and watch out for in my own life. My father has had two heart surgeries and my family constantly lives with the reminder that every day with him is a gift. My grandfather (my father's father) died of a heart attack at a very young age, before I was born. It is my hope that my father is around to meet and enjoy his grandchildren, as his father never was.

I really hope you'll take a moment to go and vote for my design! It would really mean a lot to me, and all of us here at Jimmy Beans Wool that have worked so hard on the Stitch Red Campaign over the years. We appreciate your help!

There are two ways to vote. Use this link if you are on a computer:

https://www.facebook.com/mymountain.us/app_451684954848385

And this shorter link if you are on any mobile device:

http://woobox.com/jt3ju3

You can vote once per day, per ip address. Thank you so, so much for helping me support Stitch Red and literally stick it to heart disease! (Get it? You knit with sticks? Hee hee!)

Happy knitting!
Kristen

It's the first week of the Mystery Sew Red Sew-a-long and we are raring to go! The first block design will be from Jimmy Beans Wool's very own Kristen Ashbaugh Helmreich.

All About Kristen

Kristen and Sew Red

Why Kristen Chose to be Part of the Mystery Sew Red Sew-a-long

Kristen's Block

Now that the Royal Baby Quilt Sew-a-long has wrapped up, we are excited to announce a project that we've had in the works for quite some time: a Mystery Sew Red Sew-a-long!

Source: HBO.com

Greetings GoT fans! Is everyone super excited for tonight? I know I certainly am--my hubby and I have been waiting with baited breath since the end of season 2 and we are preparing to join some friends for the big premier viewing at a local brewery this evening. We've been seeing tons of teasers from season 3 online as I'm sure most of you have as well. Ach! I am SO excited I can hardly stand it!

Source: The NY Daily News

I'm really excited to kick of the official knitting portion of the MKAL tonight, but I have to warn you, with this MKAL I am going to break you all in really easy. We are just doing some simple knitting in the round today, nothing too fancy, but it will set you up quite nicely for some short rows next week. :)

Also, I wanted to let you know that I understand that printing from this blog may be an issue for some of you with finicky browsers. I highly recommend that if you plan to print this post, to copy and paste the directions into a word document and print it from there. Printing from this post may result in many pages of stuff you don't really need. Once the MKAL is over, I will provide a downloadable PDF of the pattern, but in the meantime, the blog is the only way to get it. Let me know if you have questions about this and I am happy to help!

Alright, let's cut to the chase, I know what you are really here for and it's not to read my questionable prose. :) I am so excited for you all to begin knitting so here is part one of the MKAL of Ice and Fire!

Materials:
-2 skeins of Lorna's Laces Haymarket (or 430 yds of a worsted weight yarn)
-US 8- 24" (or shorter) circular needles
-1 stitch marker
-Some episodes of Game of Thrones to enjoy while you knit!

Abbreviations/Definitions:
-CO- cast on
-sts- stitches
-pm- place marker
-garter stitch (in the round)- knit 1 round, purl 1 round
-stockinette stitch (in the round)- knit every round

Directions:
-CO 120 sts
-pm and join for working in the round
Rnds 1-6: knit in garter stitch (see above abbreviations for instructions on how to knit garter stitch in the round)
Rnds 7-14: knit in stockinette stitch (see above abbreviations for instructions on knitting stockinette in the round)
Rnd 15: purl

*Repeat rounds 7-15 twice more.

And that is it for clue #1! I know, I know, easy and painless right? I promise to challenge you a bit more next week. In the meantime, kick back, relax, enjoy your Easter (that is if you observe) and als the premier! It's bound to be a good day!

Happy knitting,
Kristen

PS. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, I'll check in on Ravelry as both Jimmy Beans Wool and Marinade (my personal account) a few times throughout the day and this coming week as well. Also, remember that the JBW Ravelry Group will have a Thread for Clue #1 as well as for general chat about the show and MKAL. If you don't do Ravelry, you can comment on this post with a question, or e-mail me directly: kristen (at) jimmybeanswool (dot) com. Thanks again for joining us! :)

Well hello everyone! Welcome to the final week of the Downton Abbey MKAL! It's funny, when I set out to do this, I didn't realize that PBS was planning to shorten the DA season by combining episodes 6 & 7 to make last week's mega episode and then airing the Christmas special (this week) as the 7th episode. In any case, the season was actually a week shorter than anticipated, but luckily, I planned to wrap up a week "early" so it all works out in the end!

Check out Rachel's finished gauntlets!

That said, I would like to thank you all SO much for joining me in this journey. It's been a blast and I've learned a lot and I hope you all have too. I am already cooking up the next KAL so hopefully you'll join me there as well.

So here is our final bit of knitting for the DAMKAL!

Thumb Gusset (continue working in the round):

Needle 1: Knit as follows-

• Round 1: k to last 5 sts, pm, k1f&b, k3, k1f&b,
• Round 2: k
• Round 3: k to marker, slip marker, k1f&b, knit to last stitch, k1f&b
• Round 4: k

Needle 2: Continue working in Rosebud Lace pattern picking up where you left off, starting with round 9. While you are knitting the thumb gusset, you will continue working this pattern for 12 more rounds ending on row 4 of the pattern.

Needle 3: For this section, you will no longer knit eyelets. At this point you should have a total of 14 eyelets. You will now just knit regular stockinette stitch on this needle until the directions say otherwise.

-Remove provisional cast on and place stitches back on your needles dividing the stitches evenly among the needles and rejoin yarn to resume working in the round. (This is a good opportunity to knit those 4 rounds IFyou missed them at the beginning.)
-Increase to 52 sts if you do not  already have that number on the needles by knitting a round and spacing your increases evenly throughout the row. Use your preferred method of increasing.
-Purl one round
-*k1, k1f&b; repeat from * to end of round. (78 sts now on the needles)
-Rearrange sts on the needles so that you have 26 sts on each needle.

Work Shell Lace Edging pattern as follows:
Shell Lace Edging Pattern

Rnd 1: *k2tog, k9, ssk; repeat from * to end of rnd. (66 sts)
Rnd 2: Knit
Rnd 3: *k2tog, k7, ssk; repeat from * to end of rnd. (54 sts)
Rnd 4: Knit
Rnd 5: *k2tog, yo, (k1, yo) 5 times, ssk; repeat from * to end of round (78 sts)
Rnd 6: Purl

*Repeat rows 1-6 two more times. (A total of 3 repeats)
Bind off and weave in ends. Feel free to block your gauntlet if you'd like. If you do, be sure to pin out the points on your lace edging. 

There you have it folks! The conclusion of the Downton Abbey Mystery KAL. I truly hope you've enjoyed the journey and I can't wait to look through all of the finished gauntlets on the project page!! I will be formatting the KAL pattern over the next couple of weeks into a downloadable PDF complete with photos and charts so stay tuned. I should have that up in about two weeks. I will make sure that it gets a mention in one of our upcoming twice monthly newsletters.

Also, some of you may be curious about our next KAL. Well, we couldn't help but love having a theme based off of a popular series, so starting March 31st, we'll begin our Game of Thrones Mystery KAL complete with it's own custom color of Lorna's Laces! Stay tuned for more info in our Friday, March 1st Newsletter! I hope you'll join me!

With that I bid you farewell, until we meet again.

Happy knitting!
Kristen

The Sierra Sunset Cowl

Basic Neckie Design

Sharon and her Donner Pass Cowl

Laura and Huck in my hats.

Green Market Tote

At the Knit Red book signing.